15 Minute Ginger Graham Cracker Crust

… Only Three Ingredients for this Bold Crumb Crust!

Need pie crust in a hurry? You’re only fifteen minutes and three ingredients away from a bold and flavorful crumb crust that can fit just about any pie crust recipe.

I rely on this gluten-free, dairy-free graham-cracker style crust when I’m in a hurry and need to throw a dessert together fast, yet I want it to taste like I’ve put some love into it. There’s no need to chill or roll out the dough – because there is no dough. A quick crushing of cookies and graham crackers, a drizzle of melted margarine, a short 7-minute bake in the oven, and your crust is ready for filling. I’ve used this crust for no-bake pie recipes such as pudding and custard pies, and I’ve used it very successfully in baked pie fillings like pumpkin and fruit.

The punch of flavor comes from the gingersnap cookies, and can be moderated or kicked up a bit farther, depending on your ratio of gingersnaps to the amount of graham-style crackers you include. Personally I like the quantities suggested in the recipe below, this one is bold, but tailor it to your tastes. As listed here, this complements many traditional flavors of Thanksgiving and Christmas desserts. Enjoy!

Crushgingersnaps and grahamcrackers in a food processor (or in a plastic, re-sealable bag and rolled over with a rolling pin) into fine crumbs.

Addmelted margarine to crumbs and pulse to moisten all crumbs.

Pour crumb mixture into pie plate and press into an even layer on bottom and up sides of plate. Press well so crumbs will hold in a solid form once baked.

Bake at 350ºF for 7 minutes. Remove from oven and set on a cooling rack until ready to fill. Can be used immediately or saved for later (one day at room temperature). NOTE: Bake this crust before filling even if you’ll be adding a baking-required filling. It will not overbake once filled and baked again.

Voila – simple, right? On to embellishing it with your favorite pie filling.